Two months later, disappointment has been changed by excitement. Frustration is now intrigue.
St. John’s roster, which is now full following past weekend’s addition of 7-foot-1 higher school prospect Mohamed Keita, appears to be like significantly much better than preliminary anticipations.
When very last season finished with a heartbreaking Big East Tournament quarterfinal loss to Villanova, an uncertain offseason was full of gloom.
It commenced that way, with the anticipated departures of standout forwards Julian Champagnie and Aaron Wheeler to the specialist ranks. But coach Mike Anderson and his team have responded extremely effectively, not only landing two change-making transfers in stage guard Andre Curbelo (Illinois) and wing David Jones (DePaul), but retaining the rest of the roster intact soon after there were being 8 defections the former yr.
On paper, industry experts believe this has the probable to be a best 4-5 team in the Significant East, a team that if much more goes right than erroneous, must arrive at the NCAA Event for the very first time considering the fact that Anderson’s arrival in 2019.
The Publish spoke to two analysts — Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports activities and John Fanta of Fox Sporting activities and the Subject of 68 — and three school coaches (on problem of anonymity) with solid information of the Major East to break down the Johnnies’ new-glance roster.
“They the moment yet again are a single of the residence-run hitters of the offseason in the Massive East,” Fanta said. “You could say that they’ve experienced the finest or the second- or third-finest offseason in the Major East. … They have a real looking chance of currently being fourth or fifth. In that regard, the offseason will get an ‘A.’ ”
It all begins with the huge three of Curbelo, Jones and returning place guard Posh Alexander. Curbelo was the Huge 10 Sixth Man of the 12 months as a freshman, a former prime-50 recruit out of Prolonged Island Lutheran who had a down sophomore 12 months that was impacted by a concussion which price tag him two months. The flexible 6-foot-6 Jones averaged 14.5 details, 7.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in his initial comprehensive yr at DePaul, and picked St. John’s around Oregon, Memphis and West Virginia, supplying the Johnnies a go-to male on the wing in put of Champagnie. Then there is the dynamic 6-foot Alexander, who notched 13.8 factors, 5.5 helps and 4.4 rebounds a yr in the past.
“You’re heading into next time, which is a pivotal year due to the fact they haven’t built the NCAA Tournament because 2019 and they haven’t designed it under Mike Anderson, with Posh Alexander, Andre Curbelo and David Jones as a few guys who all have the probable to be All-Big East gamers,” Rothstein mentioned. “If you have 3 guys who are in placement to be All-Large East players, you really should have a workforce that is in the NCAA Tournament.”
There are, of class, queries. Thoughts about chemistry and concerns about shotmaking. St. John’s is hoping Curbelo and Alexander, two pass-first place guards employed to participating in with the ball in their hands, can co-exist. The coaching team built guaranteed Alexander was on board in advance of recruiting Curbelo, resources instructed The Publish. Nevertheless the two did not have a preexisting connection, they are familiar with a person an additional obtaining equally attended high schools in the location.
There is hope Alexander’s shooting can boost taking part in off the ball additional. As a freshman, Alexander shot better from 3-position range than he did this previous 12 months — 29.9 p.c compared to 21.7 — when participating in following to a different level guard.
“They will be truly tricky to guard. I think it could be truly hazardous if the two of them can connect and be on the very same web page, and my sensation is Posh is rather straightforward to do that with,” a single of the coaches said. “He doesn’t look to have considerably of an ego when it will come to getting his.”
The more substantial question, anyone agreed, is the absence of perimeter taking pictures. Curbelo and Alexander are non-shooters. Jones shot 30 percent from deep previous year. Wheeler and Champagnie ended up St. John’s leading shooters a yr back for a staff that strike just 33.5 per cent of its tries from deep, a mark that ranked 195th in the state. The opposition will pack the paint. It will play off Curbelo and Alexander. Anyone — no matter whether it is rising junior Dylan Addae-Wusu, gifted but unproven growing sophomore Rafael Pinzon or prized recruit AJ Storr — will want to make shots from outside of the arc when the video game slows down.
“That’s obviously the worry,” Rothstein explained. “That’s the one thing that people are likely to have thoughts about.”
The 3 coaches said that although St John’s has best-5 talent in the league, in fact ending there is yet another point. Past year’s staff was intended to make the NCAA Event and fell properly limited. Consistency has eluded the Johnnies in the latest years. It is an intriguing roster with some high-conclusion talent, but even now just one with key dilemma marks. The pieces are not assured to in good shape alongside one another.
“I assume it is a boom-or-bust sort of group,” just one of the coaches stated. “It can be really excellent and compete in the leading 3 or 4 in the league, or it can be just a poor combine.”
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